A model of the diagenetic evolution of coaly sedimentary organic matter

Elemental composition was used to calculate the amounts of compounds produced during the diagenetic evolution of a coal series from the Mahakam delta (Kalimantan, Indonesia). These calculations were based on the following hypotheses: organic nitrogen does not take part in reactions and remains unchanged in the residual organic matter, the only compounds produced are water, carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons.This approach shows that carbon loss during diagenesis is mainly as CO₂, and hydrogen loss is mainly as H₂O. Hydrocarbon production is negligible, in accordance with absence of bacterial methane accumulations in the Mahakam delta.The δ¹³C of coals in the sequence becomes about 2 per mil more positive over the diagenetic depth range of coal evolution. Accounting for the coal δ¹³C change in terms of CO₂ loss requires that the CO₂ given off have δ¹³C of about ?40%.. Such negative CO₂ has not been observed in natural systems, except when CH₄ is undergoing oxidation. Several plausible causes for this effect are discussed.